Author: Priyanka Deshpande

PM Modi visits Ram Mandir for first time since ‘Pran Pratishtha’, offers prayers before roadshow

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday May 5 offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya before he began a roadshow in the holy town. “This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya after the ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration) ceremony held on January 22,” VHP media in-charge Sharad Sharma told PTI.

PM Modi in a post on social media platform X shared a video of his visit. “At Ayodhya, prayed to Prabhu Shri Ram for the well being of my fellow 140 crore Indians,” he wrote.

At Ayodhya, prayed to Prabhu Shri Ram for the well being of my fellow 140 crore Indians. pic.twitter.com/ulwNmktZ2e

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 5, 2024

The entrance gates to the temple were decorated with flowers, with ‘Om’ formed with yellow petals. Replicas of a bow and an arrow made using flowers were also seen at various places. According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Ram Lalla seated in the temple wore a light pink attire on Sunday.

Voting in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, under which the Ayodhya district falls, will take place in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20. The prime minister embarked on the roadshow after offering prayers at the temple. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP’s Faizabad candidate Lallu Singh accompanied him.

A group of saree-clad women walked in front of the prime minister’s vehicle.

Holding an illuminated lotus (the BJP’s election symbol), Modi waved and greeted the people standing on the sides of the road as his vehicle moved past.

The roadshow began from the temple’s entrance and will conclude at the Naya Ghat Road crossing, two kilometres away, party officials said.

Modi, who has been campaigning in Jharkhand and Gujarat, arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday and took out a mega roadshow in Kanpur.

Before arriving in Ayodhya, Modi addressed a public meeting in Samajwadi Party stronghold Etawah and a rally in Dhaurahra.

(With inputs from PTI)

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Investing in India’s booming e-commerce infrastructure: A game-changing opportunity

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s e-commerce market is on a rapid growth trajectory, with online sales forecasted to skyrocket from $60 billion to $300 billion by 2030. This exponential growth has spurred robust demand for Grade A warehouses across the country.

India is in a structural sweet spot with respect to warehousing, with industrial and consumption led demand outstripping the supply addition in most key markets across the country. Multinational tenants (across industrial categories, E-commerce players and 3PL Logistics companies) are increasingly gravitating towards larger, higher-quality warehouses.

While 7 in 10 online shoppers reside in Tier 2+ cities, only around 28% of the warehousing stock is in Tier II cities, which is driving demand for Grade A warehousing assets in cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Nagpur and Ludhiana. Between 2017-2022, institutional players have invested close to around $10 billion towards building Grade A warehousing assets.

Property Share – India’s first and largest commercial real estate investment platform, recently unveiled its latest real estate investment opportunity — a prime distribution centre leased to a leading e-commerce company, a subsidiary of the largest retailer in the world.

This rare investment opportunity offers retail investors a chance to invest in a brand-new built-to-suit Grade A+ warehousing facility. This opportunity marks Property Share’s first foray into the Indian warehousing space, having already invested around £20 million across 3 warehousing assets in the UK.

Key highlights of the investment opportunity are:

Impressive Rental Yield: 9.1% per annum

Reputable Tenant: Leased to an Indian e-commerce giant

Long Lease Tenure: A secure 9-year lease with a 4.3-year tenant lock-in period

Location Advantage: Situated in Jaipur’s largest industrial market, conveniently located off NH48

Superior Build Quality: A meticulously crafted, A+ built-to-suit facility tailored to the tenant’s needs

Favourable Returns: Offering an attractive target IRR of 16.1% and a 1.70x multiple

Comprising three boxes totaling more than half a million square foot of warehousing area, this distribution centre serves as the largest distribution and fulfilment centre in the West for the e-commerce giant.

Processing a staggering 2 lakh orders per day (5 lakhs during peak periods), the tenant has spared no expense in outfitting the facility with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including advanced racking systems, turnstiles, offices, training centres, cafeteria, and employee recreation zones.

Furthermore, the location of the asset, Ajmer Road stands out as Jaipur’s premier warehousing location with a roster of esteemed tenants like Amazon, Coca Cola, Hindustan Unilever, Delhivery, Havells, and ECom Express operating out of the area.

Strategically positioned just 45 minutes from the Jaipur airport and in proximity to Mahindra World City, the warehouse enjoys seamless connectivity to key highways, enhancing its appeal to tenants and investors alike.

The investment opportunity is a direct play on the logistics and warehousing market which is one of the fastest growing segments within real estate on the back of rising e-commerce and online shopping post the pandemic.

To know more about the investment opportunity, visit here.

This is partnered post.

Authors Note: The writer of this article is Ganesh Arunachalam, Vice President – Investments (North & West), Property Share. The views are expressed are personal. 

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Four unidentified persons booked for threatening journalist over newspaper article

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Four unidentified persons were booked on Saturday April 27 for threatening a woman journalist in Mumbai over a newspaper article, a police official said.

Sukhda Sadanand Purav aka Neha Purav of Navkal newspaper, in her complaint at MHB police station in Borivali West, said she had published an article on April 14 about Union Minister and BJP’s Mumbai North Lok Sabha candidate Piyush Goyal reportedly having trouble due to the smell of fish while on a campaign trail.

Four men came to her residence on Thursday April 25 night at around 10:30 pm and warned her against publishing such articles, the MHB police official said quoting her complaint.

Four persons have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 448 (house trespass), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) and further probe was underway, he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi strongly condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X.

Interim Cabinet Minister and Mumbai North Candidate, Piyush Goyal continues to embarrass his party and hurt the sentiments of the first residents of Mumbai, the Koli community by saying he cannot stand the smell of fish. Just for reporting this, Neha Purav, Navakal journalist is… pic.twitter.com/saSAh7762j

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) April 26, 2024

In another news, an Australian journalist recently alleged that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage had “crossed a line”.

Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls “the mother of democracy,” Dias said on X who had been working in India for the past two-and-a-half years.

(With inputs from agencies)

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Japan’s Bonin Islands struck by 6.5 magnitude earthquake: USGS

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Japan’s Bonin Islands, on Saturday April 27, was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 , according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake was at a depth of 503.2 km (312.7 miles), USGS said.

The US National Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami warning from the quake, based on available data.

Earlier on April 17, the country was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake near Kyushu and Shikoku islands.

With its reputation for high seismic activity, Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, contributing to around one-fifth of all earthquakes globally with a magnitude of 6 or above.

March 11, 2011, marked a significant disaster for Japan as the northeast coast was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in the country. This seismic event was followed by a colossal tsunami, resulting in the worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl incident twenty-five years prior.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India opens some doors for onion exports after nearly five months of ban

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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After nearly five months of export ban, the government on April 26, has allowed export of 99,150 million tonne of onions, mainly sourced from Maharashtra, to six neighbouring countries.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said the government has “allowed export of 99,150 tonne of onion to six neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, UAE, Bhutan, Bahrain, Mauritius and Sri Lanka”.

On December 8, 2023, the government banned export of onions to ensure adequate domestic availability against the backdrop of estimated lower Kharif and Rabi crops in 2023-24 as compared to previous year and increase demand in international market.

The National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL), the agency for the export of onion to these countries, sourced the domestic onions to be exported through e-platform at L1 prices, the statement said. NCEL has supplied to the agency or agencies nominated by the government of the destination country at the negotiated rate on a 100% advance payment basis.

The offer rate of NCEL to the buyers takes into account the prevailing prices in the destination market and also international and domestic markets. The quota allocated for export to the six countries are being supplied as per requisition made by the destination country.

As the largest producer of onion in the country, Maharashtra is the major supplier of onions sourced by NCEL for export, the statement said.

The procurement target for onion buffer out of Rabi crop 2024 under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) of the Department of Consumer Affairs has been fixed at 5 lakh tonne this year.

The Central agencies, like NCCF and NAFED are tying up local agencies like FPOs/FPCs/PACs to support the procurement, storage and farmers registration to begin the procurement of any store-worthy onion.

A high-level team of the Department of Consumer Affairs, NCCF and NAFED visited Nashik and Ahmednagar districts of Maharashtra from April 11-13, 2024, to create awareness among the farmers, FPOs/FPCs and PACs about the procurement of 5 lakh tonne of onion for buffer stock.

To reduce the storage loss of onions, the department has decided to enhance the quantum of stocks to be irradiated and cold stored from 1,200 tonne last year to over 5,000 tonne this year, with technical support from BARC, Mumbai.

The pilot of onion irradiation and cold storage taken up last year has been found to have resulted in the reduction of storage loss to less than 10%, the statement said.

The Centre on Thursday April 25 also allowed exports of 2,000 million tonne of white onion cultivated from Mundra Port, Pipavav Port and Nhava Sheva/JNPT Port. Traders from any state can export their onions via these three Gujarat Ports.

However, CNBC-TV18’s Santia Gora reports that Maharashtra traders believe the decision is partial and is taken to favour Gujarat traders.

According to Maharashtra traders, exporters will need an NOC from Gujarat’s Horticulture Commissioner and even if Maharashtra traders would try and export, Gujarat exporters will reach the ports first, and the 2000 million tonne limit will get over.

Exporting onions via Gujarat Ports will also be logistically and monetarily unviable for traders from Maharashtra and other states.

Traders believe that taking a container from states like Maharashtra and others to Gujarat will increase overall cost by multiple folds. It will also increase the time required to complete the export procedure by at least two days.

Amid rising resentment among traders, the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has been batting for revoking the ban.

Reacting to exports of white onions via the three ports, Aaditya Thackeray in a post on social media platform X, questioned why is the Centre anti-Maharashtra.

“Once again, Maharashtra faces injustice from the BJP, only to benefit Gujarat. Why can’t both states be given equal treatment?” he said.

Once again, Maharashtra faces injustice from the bjp, only to benefit Gujarat.

Why can’t both states be given equal treatment?

Why is bjp so anti Maharashtra? https://t.co/uPI02mh9Kd

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) April 27, 2024

In March, the Union Agriculture Ministry released the data for onion production. As per the data, onion production in 2023-24 (First Advance Estimates) is expected to be around 254.73 lakh tonnes compared to around 302.08 lakh tonnes last year.

This is due to a decrease of 34.31 lakh tonne output in Maharashtra, 9.95 lakh tonne in Karnataka, 3.54 lakh tonne in Andhra Pradesh and 3.12 lakh tonne in Rajasthan, the data showed.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Watch: A new mind blowing Chinese robot claims to be superfast and precise

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Stardust, a China-based company, on April 26, unveiled its AI robot named Astribot S1. With an aim to provide billions of people with AI robotic assistants, the company claims Astribot S1 has the best operating performance of its kind.

In a video demonstration, the company showcased the remarkable capabilities of the AI robot. Presented at regular speed without any alterations, the footage displayed the Astribot S1 effortlessly tackling various intricate tasks including folding clothes, organising items, flipping pots for cooking, vacuuming, and engaging in competitive cup stacking.

The S1 robot features a cutting-edge motor transmission system, meticulously developed through multiple iterations. This system seamlessly integrates control, sensing, transmission, and driving components into a complex system, allowing the S1 with agile, flexible, and smooth dynamic operations. These capabilities rival the speed and precision typically associated with industrial robots.

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Unlike traditional humanoid robots, Astribot employs a unique design merging a wheeled base with a humanoid upper body. This innovative approach enables the S1 to safely navigate interactions with humans, objects, and its surroundings, mitigating any potential harm to individuals, items, or itself while in motion.

Furthermore, the robot facilitates various data collection techniques, including video, motion capture, and remote operation. Through software updates, it can continually enhance its intelligence and capacity to generalise across diverse tasks, ensuring ongoing improvement in performance.

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Moreover, the modularity of the head, hands, and torso enables flexible assembly or disassembly to accommodate diverse requirements, thereby enhancing task adaptability.

The robot derives its name Astribot from the Latin proverb “Ad astra per aspera,” signifying “Through hardships to the stars.” The robot is expected to be commercialised within 2024.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Pilibhit Lok Sabha Election 2024: 60.23% voter turnout recorded in first phase of polls

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Pilibhit recorded 60.23% voter turnout, according to the Election Commission’s Voter Turnout app. It is one of the 80 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh which is voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

People in some areas of Pilibhit district announced a poll boycott as a protest against the lack of civic amenities, the PTI reported. The residents of Purana village, located in the Barkheda Police station limits, said they would not vote in protest against the absence of a bridge in the area.

Residents of Dahgala, Bakshpur and nearby villages boycotted voting as the road leading to the villages through the officers’ colony has allegedly been blocked.

Historically, the parliamentary constituency has been a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold, represented by Maneka Gandhi and her son Varun Gandhi.

However, for the first time in over thirty years, the mother-son team is absent from the Pilibhit constituency race. Instead, BJP’s Jitin Prasada, a minister from Uttar Pradesh, is contesting from this seat.

Pilibhit, in the 2024 elections, is witnessing a three-way contest between Prasada, Samajwadi Party’s Bhagwat Saran Gangwar and Anis Ahmed Khan from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The Pilibhit seat comprises of five Vidhan Sabha segments – Baheri, Pilibhit, Barkhera, Puranpur and Bisalpur.

Pilibhit Lok Sabha election 2024: List of candidates

2019 Lok Sabha election result

BJP’s Varun Gandhi secured a resounding victory in the Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency defeating SP’s Hemraj Verma by an impressive margin of over 2.5 lakh votes. Varun Gandhi garnered over 7 lakh votes , while Verma managed just above 4.48 lakh votes.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Japan, no tsunami warning

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Japan on Wednesday, April 17 was jolted by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. The epicentre of the quake was situated in a channel flanked by Kyushu and Shikoku islands, about 18 kilometers west of Uwajima, with a depth of roughly 25 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.

The Japan Times reported that despite the quake, which struck at 11:14 pm, there were no tsunami warnings. Initial reports indicated only minor injuries and damage.

“In areas the jolt was strong, please don’t approach any dangerous areas. There is no risk of tsunami caused by this earthquake,” the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said on social media platform X.

According to reports from NHK, the company managing the Ikata nuclear plant in Ehime prefecture, where one reactor is operational, confirmed that there were no abnormalities detected.

Speaking at news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that there were several light injuries reported. NHK also mentioned minor damages in certain areas, such as broken water pipes, fallen streetlights, and a landslide affecting a national roadway.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Dubai flights affected due to adverse weather; Air India cancels services

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Tata Group owned Air India on Wednesday announced the cancellation of flights to and from Dubai for April 16 and 17 due to unfavorable weather conditions prevailing in Dubai.

Flights to Dubai have been disrupted significantly as heavy rains resulted in flooding of the Emirate’s airport, also one of the world’s busiest airports.

“We are doing our best to get affected passengers on their way as soon as possible by re-accommodating them on flights in the next few days,” the Air India spokesperson said in a statement.

“We are also offering a one-time date change waiver to passengers with valid tickets on 16 and 17 April, allowing them to reschedule their flights to future dates within the validity of the tickets,” the spokesperson added.

Air India operates 72 weekly flights from various cities to Dubai.

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Meanwhile, an official told that 10 flights from the Delhi airport to Dubai were cancelled on Wednesday. Also, 9 flights that were to arrive from Dubai to the national capital were cancelled. Details about cancelled flights could not be immediately ascertained.

“Inclement weather has impacted air travel to the UAE, causing delays and diversions. 3-4 of our flights on 16th and 17th were among those delayed. We regret the inconvenience and have offered the option of a full refund or free rescheduling to all impacted guests,” an Air India Express spokesperson said in a statement.

Apart from Air India, Air India Express, Vistara and SpiceJet also operate flights from various Indian cities to Dubai, which is also home to a large number of Indian diaspora.

SpiceJet informed that flights to and from Dubai (DXB) were affected due to adverse weather conditions in Dubai. “Passengers can opt for an alternate flight or a full refund,” the airline said.

Unprecedented heavy rains lashed Dubai on Tuesday, disrupting normal lives and flooding the Dubai International Airport.

The Dubai airport was ranked as the world’s second busiest airport in 2023, handling more than 8.69 crore passengers, according to Airports Council International (ACI).

With inputs from PTI.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow